Spain sees sharp rise in temporary disability leave and associated economic cost

Temporary disability leave in Spain has continued to grow, with the first quarter of 2026 recording more than 852 million lost work hours, equivalent to 106.5 million workdays. The average duration of each leave increased from 38.4 to 42.9 days, driving the Social Security system’s direct expenses to €4.642 billion—a 14.4% rise year‑on‑year. When weighted by the total lost hours, the broader economic impact exceeds €21.2 billion over the three‑month period.

The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) highlighted that the number of temporary incapacity cases has risen about 60% since 2017, with roughly one‑quarter of workers accounting for more than half of all episodes. Recurrent leave, especially among cases with two or more spells per year, is prompting the Spanish government to tighten monitoring and coordination between the National Social Security Institute and health services, aiming to safeguard the system’s sustainability without restricting legitimate worker rights.